The top 192 ranked players that came out of Round 1 victorious will meet in an all-day affair, culminating in one champion. The National Axe Throwing Championship will be taking place as part of the 8th annual All-Star Weekend hosted by The Backyard Axe Throwing League. All qualifying league competitors from all over North America, including many from the Backyard Axe Throwing League, will be facing off for their chance at not only bragging rights but also part of the $20,000 in prize money for the top 12 competitors up for grabs. It’s sure to showcase the best axe throwing in the world – and we can guarantee it will be a day you won’t soon forget.

National Axe Throwing Championship Live Stream

Can’t make it out to BATL Pickering this Sunday? Don’t worry – this year’s instalment of the National Axe Throwing Championship will also be coming to you live. The semifinals and finals will be broadcasted starting at 3pm (ET) this Sunday February 17th, with streams happening on Facebook and AxeScores.com complete with commentary from familiar faces and some fantastic new surprises. As with everything about this tournament, it just gets better year after year.

NATC Making Headlines

With an event this large, it’s no surprise it has garnered interest from around North America. The 8th annual All-Star Weekend and NATC has received plenty of coverage in the news as of late, and we’re thrilled to share our story with everyone.

The 2019 National Axe Throwing Championship was recently featured on Toronto.com. The article discussed the 192 competitors coming to Toronto for the final rounds of the NATC. “The tournament will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 17 at The Backyard Axe Throwing League (BATL) Toronto East at 33 Villiers St., BATL Toronto North at 153 Bridgeland Ave., and BATL Pickering, where the finals are slated to take place. While the competitors have all earned their slots, there’s still room for spectators to head out and watch a champion get crowned. The winner will earn $10,000 and have their name engraved on the Wilson Cup for posterity.” Check out the full article here.

Niagara Falls, Ontario finalists for the 2019 National Axe Throwing Championship (NATC) from BATL Niagara Falls were featured in Niagara This Week. The local axe throwers are hoping to hit the mark at the NATC this weekend in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Kyle Little, the General Manager and finalist said: “To be a part of it and to get an opportunity to throw against the top axe throwers in the world is pretty special,” he said. “The three of us have thrown in two different leagues each season for 12 months, always working on our game and pushing one another.” Check out the full article here.

The Peterborough Examiner featured the 2019 National Axe Throwing Championship competitors from Peterborough Axe Club (PTBO Axe) competing this Sunday. They described the weekend to be “the biggest yet for the Peterborough Axe Club with nine of its throwers competing against more than 1,000 of the world’s best during the National Axe Throwing Championship in Toronto on Sunday.” The competitors from Peterborough include Evan Buckles, Matthew Colavecchia, Mike Cowle, Evan Flak, Mark Hoar, Chris Proctor-Bennett, Ken Smith, Peter Szaranski and Matt “Woodchuck” Hawryszko. Check out the full article here.

The CBC’s Brent Bambury interviewed Kate Knibbs from The Ringer to discuss the 2019 National Axe Throwing Championship (NATC) and the rise of axe throwing as a global sport. You can listen here, with a feature on the National Axe Throwing Federation and the NATC.

All-Star Weekend Events

After the prize money has been doled out and the 2019 National Axe Throwing Championship Wilson Cup holder has been decided, we begin the 2019 Winter Skills competition. It showcases the most skilled throwers battling it out for their chance at glory – axe throwers from across the world will compete in special competitions highlighting some of the most skilled trick shots and toughest games, put on especially for the Winter Skills competition. Featured games include Doubles, Ambidextrous Throwing, Time Trials, and Around The World.

Once the competitions are over, we’ll be ending it all off on the evening of February 18th with our annual Axe Prom & Awards Ceremony, taking place at Palais Royale in Toronto. Joining an axe throwing league is a great excuse to get out of the house and engage in some weekly friendly competition. But more than that, it’s a chance to meet new friends and be part of an extremely tight-knit community. At BATL, our mission is to show people the power of being good to each other, using the axe as a tool to build community inspired by our backyard roots. Our league members come from all walks of life, and are some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet – and we can guarantee that will be on full display that this year’s Axe Prom and Awards Ceremony.

There are limited late entry Axe Prom tickets available on the NATF website – and be sure to join us for the after-party at The Dock Ellis bar, taking place immediately after Axe Prom. Get ready for an action-packed weekend – we know we are because we’ve been waiting for it for a whole year.